Keeper-ring for buttons.



PATENTED. 3EPT. 29, 1903.

- A. H. BRYANT.

KEEPER RING FOR BUTTONS.

APPLICATION IILEDMAY 7, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES iatented September 29, 19053.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR HENRY BRYANT, OF EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO WILLIAM NAFEW HASKELL, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

KEEPER'RING FOR BUTTONS.

pPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,353, dated September 29, 1903. Application filed May 7, 1903. Serial lie-156,015. (N model-l To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that LARTHUR HENRY BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Keeper-Ring for Buttons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to means for detach- :o ably holding shanked buttons upon garments, and has for its object to provide a novel keeper-ring for the {purpose indicated which is shapely, very convenient to apply and remove, strong and durable, and that may be manufactured readily at low cost.

The invention consists in the peculiar conformation of the device from a single piece of resilient metal.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 2o drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

- Figure 1 is a side view of the improved keeper-ring. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a button having a shank that is inserted through a flap-of a garment, shown in section, and a side view of the improved keeper-ring, illustrating its initial engagement with the button-shank or the first step in the act of in- 0 terlocking the ring therewith. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the second step in efiecting an interlocking engagement of the keeper-ring with the shankof the button. Fig. 4: is a side view of the button and its shank,

5 a portion of the garment in section, through which the button-shank is inserted, and an edge view of the improved keeper-rim g, showing its completed interlocking engagement with the button-shank; and Fig. 5 is an end 0 view of the keeper-ring, showing the overlapped engagement of its locking members, seenin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.

The improved keeper-ring is preferably formed from a strand of resilient wire, hav- 5 ing proper length and such thickness as will alford necessary rigidity in use. The wire strand is bent circularly at its longitudinal center to sufficient degree to produce a segmental ring 6, having sufficient diameter to afiord efficient service, and preferably said segmental ring comprises three-fourths of a full circle. Integral with the terminations of the segmental ring 6 two short straight members 7 are extended in the same plane therefrom and parallel with each other. Two simi- 5 larly-curved members 8 are completing end portions of the open keeper-ring, these members projecting toward and lapping upon each other andin use serve to lock the shank of a button at a desired point on material the shank of the button has pentrated. The bodies of the curved members 8 are laterally flattened to give them wedgeform,and thus adapt them to have a proper seated engagement with each other, the combined diameter of said parts 8 being preferably greater than that of other portions of the keeper-ring, so as to insure strength thereby. The lapped members 8 together form the are of a circle having less diameter than that of the segmental ring 6, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the complete keeper-ring in normal shape-is pear-shaped in contour-a conformation that is very advantageous, as will be apparent from the following description of the application of the, 7; device.

The segmental ring 6, which is resilient and normally holds the lapped members 8 in assured contact with each other, is gripped edgewise between the thumb and front fin- 8o ger, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, when the keeper-ring is to be connected with the shank A of a button A and that has beeninserted through a suitable perforation in fibrous material B, whereon the button is to be detachably secured, the button being held similarly by the same members of the other hand.

It will be evident that by slight compression of the opposite curved edges of the segmeno tal ring 6 thelocking members 8 will be moved across each other, thus causing their free end portions to project beyond the straight members 7. While maintaining pressure on the segmental ring 6 the person holding it 5 passes either of the ends a of the curved locking members 8 through the eye in the shank A that has passed through the material B, so that at this first stage of the operation the relative positions of theengaged 10c member 8 and the button-shank will be as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that if the keeper-ring is now rocked ed gewise in the direction of the curved arrows a: x in Figs. 2 and 3 and the buttonshank Arocked toward the remaining curved member 8 the latter will readily pass over the edge of the shank and assume the position thereon indicated in Fig. 3.

Obviously it is only necessary now to continue rocking thelkeeper-ring edgewise until the point of the lockingmember 8 that rests upon the shank A clears said shank to permit the two curved locking members to assume normal positions of overlapping contact, whereupon the keeper-ring will be properly engaged with the button-shank and the button be thus secured upon'the material B, as shown in Fig. 4.

When the improved keeper-ring is to be detached from the fabric, the segmental ring 6 is compressededgewise, so as to expose the points a, and then either-0f these points is passed over the shank A, so that the curved members 8 assume relative positions on the shank shown in Fig. 3. It will now be seen that if the segmental ring 6 is rocked edgewise in the direction of the arrow 00' in Fig. 3 the keeper-ring will be disengaged from the button-shank.

The operation of connecting and disconnecting the improved keeper-ring is extremely simple and easy to effect and can be executed readily and without close inspection.

The improvement is available for holding the shanks of buttons on any article of apresilient segmental ring, integral straight parailel members extended from terminations of the segmental ring, and curved laterally-projected locking members, said curved members being flattened into wedge shape and having lapped contact with each other.

2. The combination with a button-shank having an eye therein, of a keeper-ring, formed of a single piece of resilient wire, said ring having an essentially pear shape, comprising asegmental portion at one end thereof, two straight parallel members projecting from the segmental portion, and two wedgeshaped locking members curved laterally and lapping upon each other, either of said locking members being adapted for a free insertion into the edge of the button-shank when the segmental ring is compressed edgewise so as to project the ends of the locking members exterior of the straight members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ARTHUR HENRY BRYANT. \Vitnessesz' 'C. B. UPTON,

DAVID VAUGHN. 

